Exerciser



Sept. 24, 1929. R. H. NOE

EXERCISER Filed April 12, 1928 INVENTOR I EOY.H.NOE" BY ATTORNEY- Patented Sept. 24, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROY HYATT NOE, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE EXERGISER Application filed April 12, 1928. Serial No. 269,459.

the clamping means by which the ends of one or more elastic elements are secured to a pair of hand grips.

Another object of the invention is to provide an exerciser in which the resistance may be varied in some agreement with the physical condition of the person using it, it being a special purpose of the arrangement disclosed to facilitate the substitution of elastic elements of various thicknesses so that a mild form of exercise may be taken at one time and a more vigorous form at another.

Other objects and advantages appear in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the im proved exerciser,

Figure 2 is a view of one of the hand grips, being shown partially in elevation and partly in section,

Figure 3 is an end View of one of the hand grips,

Figure 4 is a cross section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a cross section showing how the number of elastic elements may be varied.

Reference may be had to United States Patent No. 1,633,124 for exercising apparatus, granted to Roy H. Noe, on June 21, 1927, by which a particular form of cooperating jaws to connect the ends-of an elastic strip with hand grip members is disclosed. One of the outstanding purposes of the present invention is to introduce an improved mode of securing the ends of the elastic elements to the hand grips, so that the attachment and detachment of such ele ments is facilitated, permitting the ready substitution of elements of one resistance for elements of another resistance.

The need for physical exercise is being constantly brought to the attention of a large part of the population, both male and female, through a variety of channels, and while nearly every one will concede the value of periodic exercise, yet comparatively few have the mental and physical hardihood to exert themselves to the necessary extent. This condition is contributed to, in no small measure, by the lack of convenient apparatus.

Every one cannot fit his home out as a gymnasium. The majority of kinds of available exercising apparatus are more or less unwieldly. It is not a small number of themv that require more or less permanent aflixation to some part of the woodwork, and people are not always willing to sacrifice the beauty of their surroundings for the more important attribute of physical WelLbeing.

As a result, the majorityrely on their more or less hardy natures foran average healthy condition, and contribute nothing more than an occasional forced walk as a physical act toward that happy state. In order that the taking of exercise may be made to appeal to those who need it, the following device has provisions for graduating the resistance from the least amount to the most powerful. That is also a feature of the patent mentioned, but as already stated, the present improvement makes it possible to easily shift from one resistance to another so that all of the physical efforts of the user may be devoted to stretching and pulling the elastic elements.

In Figures 1 and 4 of the drawing the exerciser is shown to include a pair-of elastic elements 1 and 2, the ends of which are clamped to hand grips 3. The elements 1 Y.

and 2 may be composed of any appropriate substance, for example, large, broad rubber bands. It is possible that something other than rubber may serve the purpose, and if this may be found to be the case, it is to be regarded as within the province of the invention to substitute such other substance.

Rubber bands have a particular advantage which is here emphasized. Although the elements 1 and 2 appear as of substantially the same thickness between hand grips, it is proposed to use one thin band and one thick band together, or two thin bands together, or two thick hands together, or any other combination that may suggest itself to produce any desired variation in the resistance of the device.

The ends of the elastic elements are enlarged or reinforced as at 4 (Fig. 4). The

5 enlargement is generally tapering in form.

The thickest part occurs at the extremity of the element whence it gradually diminishes to the normal thickness of the element. This formation may be produced by doubling over the end of the element and stitching it or,

as suggested by the d 'awing, making the material of the element heavier at the end. The enlarged end will assist in preventing the pulling of the element from its anchorage upon a hand grip 3.

For the latter purpose each hand grip has what is herein known as a head 5. The head is slotted in the longitudinal direction as at 6, but the sides of the slot converge toward each other toward that edge of the head remote from the handle bar 7. In other words, the slot 6 is cross sectionally tapering. A wedge 8 is used to complete the anchorage when the end of the elastic element has been inserted in the slot.

In case the two elastic elements 1 and 2 are employed, the wedge 8 will be forced therebetween in order to press the enlarged ends of the elements against the sides of the 3 tapering slot 6. This is clearly shown in Figure 4. In case only one elastic element is used the wedge would be inserted between one side of the slot and one side of the enlarged end of the element, the other side of the latter being pressed against the adjacent side of the slot. If more than two elements are used, the wedge would simply be inserted as might be found most convenient.

The operation is readily understood. It

will be perceived at once in Figures 4: and 5 that the holding factor will be increased with the increasing of the pull upon the elastic elements or element. It is the function of the wedge 8 to secure the end of the element within the tapering slot 6 of the head 5. A pull upon the element will tend to draw the latter out of the narrow end of the slot, but according to this tendency the enlarged end 4: will be induced to press the wedge 8 in farther so that, rather than to effect a release or loosening, the anchorage of the elastic element will become firmer.

It is usually the case that some portion of the enlarged end will protrude on the inside of the hand grip as in Figure l, or that the wedge 8 will protrude at the far edge of the head 5. In either case there will be something that the user may take hold of in order to loosen the elastic element from the hand grip. A pull on the exposed end in Figure 4, or a slight upward pull on the exposed end of the wedge in Figure 5, will loosen the wedge 8. Upon taking the wedge out the elastic elements may be regulated as desired.

A heavy element, or a combination of heavy elements, would induce a more vigorous form of exercise. The exerciser may be used in a variety of ways. It is not within the province of this description to suggest any of those ways, but it is apparent that the likelihood of injury to the muscular system of the body is extremely remote, due to the soft nature of the rubber bands intended to be employed.

The principle of the clamping means comprises the provision of an enlargement at an end of an elastic band, which end is received by an opening in a head, or the like, in common with an obstructing member which performs a tightening action as an effort is made to withdraw the band from the head The tightening efiect occurs in the direction of the pull of the band on the head.

While the construction and arrangement of the improved exerciser is that of a generally preferred form, obviously modifications and changes maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim 1. An exerciser comprising a Hat elastic band having an enlargement at one end which tapers from a thick extremity to the normal thickness of the band, a hand grip which compr' es a handle bar and a head having a longitudinal slot which is cross sectionally tapering and which receives said enlarged end, and a wedge inserted in the slot with the enlarged end to compose an anchorage.

2. An exerciser comprising a pair of hand grips each of which includes ahandle bar and a head which has a longitudinal. slot that tapers crosssectionally in a direction away from the handle bar, and assortment of flat elastic bands having enlarged ends to be in sorted in the slots of the respective heads, and wedges inserted in the slots with the enlarged ends to compose anchorages, the firmness of which increases as the bands are stretched by pulling apart on the hand grips.

3. An exerciser of the character described, comprising a pair of hand grip members, each comprising a gripping bar and an inner set of parallel bars having fiat faces and provided with an opening therebetween, a fiat elastic strip adapted to be secured to said bars within the opening therebetween, and an elongated detachable wedge cooperating with the parallel bars and substantially coextensive therewith for adjustably binding the opposite ends of the strip to said bars, said bars being integral with the handle.

ROY HYATT NOE. 

